Global Warming: A Tale of Power, Deception, and Dependency

Posted on October 13, 2024 by svenaake

No, “we” are not guilty

by
Sven Ake Bjorke

In 1992, the world embraced the concept of sustainable development through “Agenda 21,” a commitment made at the Rio Earth Summit to steer the planet towards a safer, more equitable, and environmentally friendly future. Yet, despite the early consensus and the clear scientific warnings, the transition towards a green economy has been significantly thwarted by entrenched economic interests. Middle Eastern petro-tyrants, extreme Islamists, Chinese princelings, Russian warlords and oligarchs, CEOs of US Big Oil have collaborated and invested heavily in maintaining the current fossil fuel regime and making incredible fortunes. However, somebody must pay for the increasing costs of global heating and extreme weather events. You and me – or the billionaire oligarchs?

Since the 1970s, it has been evident to global leaders and scientists alike that human activities, particularly the burning of fossil fuels, were precipitating rapid changes in the Earth’s climate. The scientific community has consistently warned that without drastic measures, the planet would face severe heatwaves, stronger storms, melting glaciers, rising sea levels, and an unprecedented number of climate refugees, overwhelming our societal infrastructures and making the extreme weather events the new normal. We knew that the climate was changing far faster than at any time in the history of our planet. The world’s foremost scientists told us in no uncertain terms that most animal and plant species would not be able to adapt to such rapid global warming. Natural global warming has happened before, but then over tens of thousands of years, never in less than 100 years.

However, the fossil fuel industry, led by conglomerates like ExxonMobil, Aramco and Shell, perceived a threat to their revenue streams and embarked on a campaign to obscure the facts. The establishment of the Global Climate Coalition (GCC) in 1989, a year after the formation of the UN’s climate panel, marked a coordinated effort to counteract scientific findings and undermine global climate agreements. Funded by the world’s largest oil companies and other industrial giants, the GCC and its successors have spent millions on spreading misinformation, aiming to sow doubt and paralyze policy action.

This disinformation campaign is part of a broader strategy by powerful entities, including oil dependent state actors like Russia, to maintain the status quo of energy consumption. Russian tactics in hybrid warfare, such as disinformation, cyberattacks, and the strategic manipulation of social media, serve to polarize public opinion and inhibit concerted international responses to climate change. The oligarch network stands out more clearly in war situations, where Putin’s alliance with the Islamist ayatollah regime in Iran is clear. The friendly relations between the oligarchs Putin, Trump and bin Salman are also striking.


The financial stakes are incredibly high. The daily global trade in oil amounts to billions of dollars, influencing geopolitical dynamics and enriching a small cadre of oil tycoons and authoritarian regimes. And, of course, oil prices rise with more wars. The control over these vast financial resources continues to empower oil oligarchs and enables them to shape energy policies worldwide. The system is defended by lobbyists, extreme political groups, international armament industry and by self-proclaimed “scientists” who downplay and “cherry pick” information out of context.

Money or life?  Fossil oligarchs chose and choose money and power

The world uses 100 million barrels of oil every day. One barrel of oil is equivalent to 159 liters, roughly a full bathtub. In total, this corresponds to approximately 15 billion liters of oil – every day. In addition, there are similar amounts of coal and gas. Check the price per liter for petrol and diesel at your nearest petrol station. Take out your calculator and multiply the price by the 15 billion liters sold daily, and you’ll get an idea of the amounts involved.  The Arab-American oil company Aramco is believed to be the world’s most valuable company, twice as rich as Exxon-Mobile and Apple. The combined wealth of Aramco and its partners (the giant oil companies from the oil cartel called “the seven sisters”) is one of the world’s largest economies, if not the largest. – No wonder the oligarchs want to keep us all dependent.

Project 2025 The oiligarchs’ dream and Trumpism in detail

Project 2025 has been drawn up by a number of far-right think tanks led by the Heritage Foundation and Trump’s closest associates. Project 2025 will in practice dismantle the current democratic system in the USA as soon as Donald Trump becomes president again. The National Economic Council, chaired by the president, takes over governance of taxes, energy, environment, technology, infrastructure, health, financial services, labor, agriculture, antitrust and competition policy, and pensions. Most environmental legislation is removed and Big oil gets free play. “Drill baby, drill!” Federal welfare schemes are being wound up. The billionaire oligarchs win, while those who expect Trump to make their lives better are in for a steep learning curve.

Troll factories in Russia

Putin’s troll factories, such as the Internet Research Agency (IRA) with thousands of employees, constantly produce false information to confuse, polarize and paralyze. Several Russian media outlets, such as Russia Today and Sputnik, copy the IRA or get their “information” directly from the Kremlin. A number of echo chambers in the West are copying and spreading these false stories from allegedly different points of view. They use many “sources” and give the impression that credibility increases with the number of sources. Source criticism with an assessment of the reliability of the source is of little interest. When all sources are equally good or equally bad, all information is relativized, people become insecure, aggressive and paralyzed. The troll factories win.

Are we complicit?

The oligarchs’ message is that we are all guilty because we are dependent on fossil fuels. The fossil fuel oligarchs are just doing what we ask them to do: get us the product we want.
Despite the overwhelming scientific consensus on human-induced climate change and its impacts on biodiversity, agriculture, water resources, and global security; the fossil fuel lobby persists in its narrative that the public’s demand for energy justifies their actions. However, this narrative is misleading; the dependency on fossil fuels has been carefully cultivated by these same corporations, which have systematically obstructed the development of renewable energy sources. – No, we are not complicit. We have been deceived.

Irreversible tipping points

The consequences of such manipulation are dire. Political inaction and corporate malfeasance are pushing the planet towards ecological tipping points that may soon be irreversible, representing a profound betrayal of current and future generations.

The question now is whether society will continue to allow these entities to dictate our energy future and bear the costs of their environmental and social destruction. As the impacts of climate change become increasingly undeniable and destructive, the call for accountability is growing louder. It is imperative that we challenge the status quo, hold the responsible parties accountable, and accelerate the transition to sustainable energy solutions.

In this pivotal moment, the choice between continuing our dependency on fossil fuels and embracing a sustainable future is clear. We must advocate for policies that reduce carbon emissions, invest in renewable energy, and dismantle the power structures that have delayed action on this critical issue. The time for decisive action is now; the cost of inaction is simply too great.

Sources

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About svenaake

University Teacher.
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